Isabela, Queen of the Penguins!

Good morning! Today we set out on our last Galapagos adventure: the largest island of Isabela. If you look at a map, you'll notice she looks like a seahorse wearing a wedding dress. =) And there are penguins! 

Though she's the largest island, she's not the most populated. There are five ACTIVE volcanoes on the island and only one town! It's one of the most active volcanic sites in the world! 

But first, we need to get there! Steve and I woke early enough to run around the Darwin Station (where the tortoises are!), eat breakfast and relax until we got picked up at 9:30. Our driver from the first day, Caesar, came to pick us up and take us to the airport. We said our good byes to Joseline, our gracious hostess, and rode to the ferry landing, then took a ferry across the channel to Baltra, then took a bus to the Baltra airport, where Caesar turned us over to someone else who would help us get our tickets to Isabela and take us to the VIP lounge! It's quite a journey just to get from one island to the other! 

Apparently, the Baltra airport is only a year or so old. The VIP lounge is very nice, with lots of open-air seating and some snacks as well! The girl at the lounge must have been quite irritated with us asking so many questions and asking again and again if our flight was boarding. We did not want to miss that flight! But she was kind and helpful every time! 

So it was finally time to go to our plane--a 9-seater! It was so little and cute! The Canadian lady sitting in front of us was appalled that there were no air sickness bags aboard. Not something you want to hear just minutes before take-off, but at least we were behind her! She found a small, empty candy bag in her daughter's backpack, so we were all set. Thank goodness it was only a 30-minute flight! 

And we were off! It was a little propeller plane, so it was noisy, but fun! The views of the shoreline and across the water then into Isabela were breath-taking (and distracting enough that our potentially airsick Canadian co-passenger didn't get sick!), and I got several aerial shots! 

Clear water!

Our pilot was great. We stuck a perfect landing! The airport on Isabela is by far the smallest one I've ever flown into. It's completely open-air, with no security, windows, or doors, just a guy to check that you are on the list and weigh your bags... He's also the one who signals to the planes as they land and taxi, so he's quite the renaissance man! When I asked where the bathroom was, our Galapagos Alternative representative actually just told me to jump the low wall and go in the waiting area! Our representative's name was Andrea, and she was very helpful! She and a driver took us to our hotel, just a few minutes away, and told us where we could get lunch and that someone would be by to get us in an hour or so to take us to the Tortoise Breeding Center! 

We settled our stuff into our room, which we were surprised to find had the most amazing ocean view! And there was a palm tree growing out of our deck! We would be back to enjoy that soon! 

The view from our room!

We found our way back to the main road (which, by the way, is all sand because the town is on the shoreline!), and we stopped at a place for a quick, late lunch. It was your typical Ecuadorean fare: soup, fish, rice, veggies, and dessert. We noticed some bananas floating in our chicken soup, but when we tasted them, they tasted like potatoes! We found out later it was a plantain. One with a potato-y taste! 

We made it back to the hotel with plenty of time to meet our next guide, Juan Carlos. He took us to the wetlands via a flamingo lagoon! You know how I love the flamingoes! We stopped off at the tortoise breeding center and learned a bit more about the tortoises' life cycle and how to tell how old they are. They have rings on their shells like a tree has rings in its trunk. But over time and as the shell is exposed to the elements, the rings fade away. So it's not a fool-proof way to know! Also, the females are half the size of the males. Looked to me like it was less than half! They are so sweet! 

The little one sort of in the middle is an average size female! Can you see the rings on their shells? 

From there, we enjoyed a walk through the wetlands. We saw plants that thrive in the saltiness, like the red mangrove trees, and Juan Carlos explained about the plants and animals in much detail. He said he used to bring home animals when he was little, and he had as many as 80 at one time in his family's small apartment in Quito! He has found the right job as a naturalist. We also saw marine iguanas, birds of many kinds, and my favorite... Flamingoes! I got lots of pictures because these were closer! 

He led us through the rest of the wetlands, and we ended up at the beach. He showed us some good places to go along the shoreline, and our hotel wasn't far, so Steve and I decided to walk back. So romantic! 

We relaxed at the hotel a while, then met Andrea around 6:30 for our nightly check-in. We went out for supper afterward and must have gotten in just before the nightly rush. At 7:00, it seemed like everyone was out for supper! We had another typically Ecuadorean meal, and discovered everything is very laid-back on this island, maybe more so than on Santa Cruz or Floreana! 

We got back to the hotel and pretty much got right to bed. Steve decided to shower, and much to our dismay, the water never warmed up! We always encounter unexpected things like that when we travel, it seems, but we just have to roll with it... or shiver!! 

The next morning, we got up before our alarm--a regular occurrence on this trip--and readied for the day! Part of that readying time was spent just looking at the ocean from our bed! It was so beautiful! 

Breakfast was buffet-style, with all the options we had at the other hotels, and more! The hotel's restaurant was on the third floor, with an incredible view of the sea! We chose a table that allowed us both to look out the windows.

This morning's scheduled activity was Las Tintoreras, where we would be swimming with penguins! We sat outside to wait for our pick up. And waited... And waited a bit more. Finally someone came for us, but it all seemed a little unorganized. I think that's just island life, though--very laid back and they get there when they get there on Ecuadorean time. 

Anyway, we got in the truck that came for us and headed out to the pier! And there we were again on a tiny-little boat. Fortunately, we weren't going far! We speeded away to see... Penguins! They and a flock of blue-footed boobies were just standing around on the rocks, looking adorable, living together in harmony!

SO CUTE!

We made a dry-landing at Las Tintoreras island to see the protected Marine Iguana nesting areas first. As a bonus, we also saw white-tipped sharks! There were three of them down in a crevice, just hangin' out! Apparently, they are the only sharks that can breathe without moving. I didn't know any sharks were required to move in order to breathe. You learn something new every day! 

After walking around there a while, we got back into the boat to go for a dip... With penguins and sea lions! They were so cute! The company we were on the boat with provided snorkel gear and fins. As we learned, I'm not a good snorkeler, but I used the fins for some extra help. 

Look! A blue-footed Whitney!

The animals are not afraid of people. They'll just come right up and swim next to you, even show off from time to time! Juan Carlos told us the day before that this is how the researchers know fear is learned, not innate. The animals here, most of which never saw humans until less than a century ago, are not afraid of people at all. They learn to be afraid if something hurts them, then the fear response becomes genetic. Or something like that. The point is, they came to play with us! And apparently, these tiny penguins are like little torpedoes in the water. They can swim up to 40 kilometers per hour! They're faster than the sea lions! And they look like ducks a little bit, too. :) 

After a while, it was time to head back to shore. My waterproof camera's battery had died, and we still had more to do! We said goodbye to our new friends and got dropped off at our hotel, Then it was time for our last Galapagos run!

Our goal was to make it to the Wall of Tears, about 7 km (4 or so miles) away. We ran the first part of the way, about 4.5 km, and walked the rest. And we happened upon some tortoises along the way! 

The Wall of Tears was constructed by prisoners when Isabela was a penal colony in the 1940s and 1950s. Now it's a monument to humanity's inhumanity to other humans. But in my mind, if these were the worst of the worst criminals--rapists, murderers, etc., why not punish them with manual labor on a deserted island if you don't want to give them the death penalty? Maybe I didn't get the whole story. Some things maybe got lost in translation. 

Moving on. We made it! It rained on us during the run, the rest of the walk was long, and the stairs up to the lookout point above it were steep, but it was completely worth it! And actually, the walk back was even prettier! The sun came out, and we had no idea on the way up that there were such views of the ocean behind us, and we stopped at several lookout points and beaches, taking our time on the walk back. Steve even took a plunge at Lover's Beach (Playa de Amor)! I took pictures. 

Just a millisecond before the wave crashed into mi Amor! 

By the time we did get back to town, we were pooped, our feet hurt (my feet hurt anyway!), and we were ready to sit and simply watch the sea! We stopped at a couple of souvenir shops, but they were closed. Then we stopped by Andrea's office to do our check-in so she wouldn't have to come to the hotel later, but no one was there. So we stopped at a coconut stand and got fresh coconut water for rehydration! 

Notice the CO-OP hat! 

Back at the hotel, we took our shoes off and propped our feet up! It was about 2:30 or so by now, and we were hungry, but didn't feel like going back out. We snacked on some of the food we'd packed and picked up along the way. We did end up getting ahold of Andrea, so she came to the hotel sooner to check in with us and give us our check-out time for the next day--checking out at 8:00 for an 8:30 flight! 

Then we did something neither of us has ever, ever done before. We ordered room service! It wasn't that expensive--about the same as we'd pay going out somewhere, but we got to enjoy our view of the beach! And the sunset! Wow! It was amazing! Best room ever--except for the hot water situation! 

Thursday morning, we woke with the sunrise creeping across the waves, which seemed much calmer today! I could wake up to that view every morning and never tire of it! We got ready for breakfast and enjoyed our buffet again. I will miss the coffee the most! 

Sure enough, a driver came to pick us up just after 8:00 to take us to the tiny airport. Andrea helped us check in, and about 8:45, we boarded! I got to sit in the front! 

And then we waited in the VIP lounge, and then we boarded our plane to the mainland about 3 hours later, which made for a bit of a long day, but better safe than sorry! Net stop: Quito! 

For more pictures, click HERE! 

Puerto Ayora: We Saw Everything!

Back on Santa Cruz, there was much more to see! 

We got ourselves together for Marcos to take us on our next adventure, and our first stop was... A water taxi! Our not-so-favorite. And the seas were rougher than they had been the days prior! Fortunately for us, we only needed to take the water taxi across the port, not out onto the open sea! One can only get to where we were going on a water taxi. There are no roads there, even though it's on the same island! 

There are a couple of fancy hotels and restaurants over on the other shoreline. It's very picturesque, being right there on the water. So we got out and started walking down a well-worn trail to a beach where we were supposed to rent kayaks, but Marcos advised us not to on account of the rough seas. He said it was up to us, but we decided to skip it in favor of kayaking later, on a calmer bay. We are adventurous, but we know our limits! So we kept walking. Along a rough and rocky trail we wound. 

We saw some beautiful things! 

At last we got to Las Grietas, literally "The Crack!" It's an amazing swimming hole! It's also a fjord, which I thought only existed in Scandinavia, and I recently learned there are some in Northern Africa. It's very deep, and the sea life that call it home have had to adapt to live here. We had so much fun swimming around and looking at the fish. Marcos had to point them out to us at first, then once we knew what we were looking for, we could spot them on our own! 

We probably swam there about an hour, then it was back up the trail to check out the surf again. It was still too rough for us, so we opted to wait and kayak in Tortuga Bay that afternoon. Marcos dutifully got us across the inlet in the water taxi and gave us suggestions for lunch. He showed us the way to Tortuga Bay, and we were left us to adventure on our own for the afternoon! He really was an awesome guide, and I was sad to see him go! 

And onward we went! We found found our way on the road to Tortuga Bay and arrived at the guard post to check in, just as Marcos said. It's free to go, but you must sign in and out. Probably as a security measure to make sure everyone who goes in does come out. Anyway, we downed a couple of meal bars to tide us over and started toward the sea! The very nicely paved trail is about a mile and a half each way, so we took our time and enjoyed the local flora and fauna along the path. Did I already mention they have cacti here? It's like you're at the desert and the ocean all at once! They grow very tall here, and the land iguanas sometimes eat them! 

We also saw lizards--the ladies are pretty because they have red coloring on their chest, and males are all black and brown. There are only a few flowering plants here, at least this time of year, and they are mostly yellow and white. 

When we got near the ocean, we could tell it by the sound! The waves were really crashing! We got to the beach and were astounded by the size and ferocity of the waves! They came all the way up on the shore, in some places even past the barrier we were supposed to walk in front of! (To protect sea turtle nests.) 

On down the beach a ways, we saw a bunch of rocks on the sand. Or... Maybe short logs? But no, we were wrong on both counts. They were marine iguanas! Probably 30 or 40 of them, or more, of all shapes and sizes! Mamas, daddies, babies, adolescents, everyone was all piled up keeping warm! 

Continuing on... We walked just a bit farther and found it: Tortuga Bay! It really is amazing. In just a few yards, you can go from crashing waves and rough seas to a tranquil inlet with wildlife to be seen! Well, most days there is wildlife to be seen. 

We rented a kayak for an hour and made our way around the bay where we were told there would be rays, sharks, turtles, fish, and more. Unfortunately, maybe because of the rough seas or maybe the time of year, we didn't see much, just some dark things we couldn't make out in the water. Oh, and it rained on us. But we had a ball! Steve and I work so well together. We each try to consider the other's wants and needs, and we don't really get on each other's nerves. We make ourselves laugh! We are so blessed to have found each other. I wouldn't have half as much fun traveling here without him! 

So we finished up with the kayak and took a quick dip in the bay. Even though the water was sort of cloudy, it was truly beautiful! The black lava rocks are so stark against the blue water and the white sand. It looks like nowhere else I've ever been before! 

Time to start back toward the hotel! We knew we had about a 3.5 mile walk ahead of us, and we wanted to see one more thing, so we needed to get going! We went back across the bay beach. Back across the iguana spot. Back across the big rough waves beach. And back through the wilderness on the nice path! We checked ourselves out, walked back to town, and found our way to the lunch place that Marcos suggested. We were really hungry by then! It was a little late for lunch, but that just meant we had the whole restaurant to ourselves! We split a couple of things (we didn't want to overdo it because we knew we had a nice dinner coming to us!), and with something in our bellies, we felt fueled enough to keep on going! Onward to the Charles Darwin Research Station! 

This place was built in the 1960s or 1970s for research purposes and for breeding every type of tortoises from every island. Did you know that the sex of a tortoise is determined by the temperature of the egg? The warmer eggs are girls, and the cooler eggs are boys. So the people in charge get to pick who will be what! All the tortoises were entertaining. The little ones were cute! The big ones were funny! They really do look like dinosaurs. There was an adventurous one we named Whitney. All the others were resting, but she was on the move! We knew it was a she because the number on her back was pink! We also saw a loner with a blue 43. We named him Steve. :) 

The big ones are actually quite majestic. Pre-historic looking, even! They look to me like a dinosaur should look: reptilian, sort of wrinkled, old. The way they look at you is so funny! And yes, they move slow, but they can weigh up to 500 pounds! They have to be pretty strong to move at all. You try to move with a house on your back! I love them. They're so cute! 

And then it was time to head back to the hotel! Louis met us there to check in with us and make sure we had all we needed for the next few days. Also, because of the prolonged and post-sunset Floreana experience, the owner of the ferry service said she wanted to buy us dinner that evening. And what did we get? SUSHI! Louis told us it would be there around 6:00. And in good Ecuadorean fashion, it arrived around 6:30. It was amazing! 

The one on the far left is topped with banana! 

Stay tuned for our next and final Galapagos adventure... Isabela! 

For more pictures, click HERE!

Floreana: Island-wide Wi-fi, Drinkable Water, and Getting "Stranded"!

Beautiful Floreana! This day was a very special one. Steve and I got to experience a REAL remote island in the Pacific! We rose early, went down for breakfast at the Galapagos Suites, and before we knew it, we were being picked up by our private guide for the day! His name was Marcos, and he was very knowledgeable about all of the islands! And he actually learned English by just listening to people and picking it up on the fly. His English was awesome! His family was one of the first to settle on Santa Cruz, and they started the first restaurant there. He is a native Galapian (Galapagoan?) if ever there was one! 

We walked to the ferry, and immediately had our bags checked for fruits and vegetables. They are very particular about what goes on or comes off of the islands here, even among the islands! We waited only a few minutes for our water taxi, which took us and about 12 or so others to the waiting ferry. It's 29 miles from Santa Cruz to Floreana, and the trip takes a little over two hours. August is a rougher time on the high seas. The first question anyone asks you before going is, "Do you get seasick?" Fortunately for Steve and me, we are not prone to seasickness. Also, Marcos made sure we sat in the back, near the engines (the heaviest part of the boat with the least sway). The three of us were fine, but several other struggled with seasickness. Me? I was too busy being terrified we would tip over! 

The waves were so high, and this was not even a terribly rough seafaring day, or so we were told! There were a couple of times I was certain we'd tip over and sink down. So glad I was wrong! Steve held my hand, I prayed, and I sang whatever church songs came to my head! It's funny how many church songs have sea references in them. "We Have an Anchor," "Here We Are but Straying Pilgrims," and "Be Not Dismayed Whate're Betide" to name a few! Those were some of the ones that got me through! Plus I had to pee so desperately, I was distracted from the constant motion. That was also not the best part of the ferry ride! 

But then we made it! And it was worth the journey. When we anchored off the shore and waited for the water taxi, Marcos told us some good news. They are one of the only islands with a fresh water source, so we can drink the water and brush our teeth in the sink, and the entire island has free wi-fi! So exciting! 

Our first sights of the island! 

We left our bags with our hotel hostess and set out for a fun excursion to the top of the mountain! There's a Giant Tortoise center up there. The tortoises were a gift to the Cruz family (who own our hotel and were some of the first Ecuadoreans to settle the island, no relation with "Santa Cruz" Island). The tortoises were so big! And they really are cute creatures, too. They'll just move at their own pace, eat, look at you, eat, and repeat. It's difficult to spot them at first. They sort of look like rocks until you know what you're looking for! 

So sweet!

We hiked around a bit more and saw the caves where some of the first settlers--Germans with the surname Wittmer--lived. They had livestock up there, fresh water, and the most amazing view! We could see cutouts in the rocks where they kept the animals. The cutouts were in the shape of guns, a gate closure, and other storage spaces. We even saw their cave house! 

Where they kept their guns. 

So, Ecuador officially claimed the Galapagos Islands in February of 1832, but a German man named Ritter and his "lover" and a German family, the Wittmers, were the first permanent settlers to any of the Galapagos Islands. They came around the 1930s, and they settled on Floreana! Maybe they already knew, or maybe they found out when they got there, but this island had its own water source, which is a great thing when you are settling somewhere! Ecuadoreans came to settle here in the 1950s or so. 

But this island is only sparsely populated by just 165 people today. Why, you may ask? Murder. Not so long ago, there was a woman who lived here--Margaret--and apparently she killed her competition, the Baroness who came to the island with her two lovers to start a hotel. She said, "It was her or me." And that was her reason. Marcos told us about a movie called The Galapagos Affair that tells the story. I can't wait to rent it! He said there have been lots of things written about the incident, but none of them tell the truth except this movie! Anyway, no one wanted to move to Floreana after this incident because they were afraid of this woman. I believe Marcos said she died in the 2000 at 95 years old. 

And we're walking! We got back to the truck that had brought us up the hill and made our way back down the bumpy road to lunch! It was typical Galapagos fare: fish, rice, veggies, and fruit. And they always start with soup! Then we headed just outside of town to our hotel... A cabin on the black beach! 

We stayed at the Floreana Lava Lodge: 10 individual cabins on the shore, complete with drinkable water, a humongous bed, and a/c! To get there, we walked across a black sand beach (a mix of lava ash and regular sand). The best part? Our cabin faced west--toward the sunset that would be coming in a few hours! The shower didn't exactly drain, but everything else was just about paradise! 

We had about an hour to relax and unpack, then it was time to set out for the sea! We grabbed our snorkel gear and met Marcos on the boardwalk in front of the cabins. But we were maybe not quite prepared for the hike ahead. The trail to the beach we would be visiting started out nice and smooth... Then became rocky... Then rockier... Then we were practically climbing over them! But it was completely worth the trek. The white sand there was beautiful! And we could see all the way through to the bottom. 

See? There's my Love, swimming in search of sea life!

I tried to use my snorkel gear, but #1, I'm not good at it. And #2, something was wrong with it because when I breathed in, I got a mouthful of saltwater! No big deal, though. Steve could use his goggles, and I could see plenty from the top! We even made a turtle friend... Ferdinand! He was so cute. He came to the surface to breathe and say hello many times. And even a few times the next day! He was great fun. Sorry I didn't get a picture of him. He was too fast!

We swam around for an hour or so, talked with Marcos while we dried off, and hiked back to our cabin to freshen up and watch the sunset before dinner. I'm so thankful for my fresh feet! They can take me anywhere again! 

After watching one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen, we set out for supper! We had to take the "torch" (flashlight) provided in the room because there are no streetlights on the path back to the cabins, which made for some beautiful star gazing on the romantic walk back! 

Supper was incredible! Lelia, the owner of the restaurant, made us soup, yuca fritters (like potato fritters meet hush puppies), mahi mahi (wahoo fish), veggies, and a brownie with coffee ice cream for dessert! Everyone we've encountered has been kind, courteous, and hospitable, and they seem quite happy to have guests! 

Marcos suggested we go for a walk after dinner. It was already pretty late for us, but we're good sports, and maybe there would be more to see at night! And sure enough, there were rays at the dock! A group of about 6 were swimming around, along with some sea lions and fishes! After Steve and I went back to our cabin, Marcos told us he had seen a sea lion giving birth! But I'm not too sorry we missed it. :/

The next morning was Sunday. And also my birthday! What better way to spend your birthday than with the one you love on a remote island in the Pacific? We went for a birthday run on the dirt and rock road (the only road on the island!) and met Marcos for breakfast. He wished me a happy birthday, and we feasted with a view of the ocean! Breakfast fare here has been similar at each place we've been: toast, jam, butter, eggs or ham and cheese, fruit, juice, granola, and yogurt.  And of course, coffee! The coffee here is so good! 

After breakfast, we had some free time. First order of business: check out the post cards! Floreana was the post office island once upon a time. And it still operates as such! There is actually a barrel "mailbox" where you can put a post card or letter in, even without a stamp, and if someone comes along who lives nearby, you can deliver it to them! Legend has it, Margaret (the murderer) used to sit and look through everyone's mail every day. And we actually found three bound for Northern Virginia! One for Oakton, one for Clifton, and one for Vienna. All are within about 20 minutes our home from Reston! What are the chances? I took those and will deliver them when I get home! We also found about 10 post cards with $4 worth of stamps on them, all bound for Germany. I won't be delivering them in person (though that would be fun!), but since they're stamped with such expensive stamps, I decided to actually mail them in Puerto Ayora. What a fun thing to do on my birthday! I love post cards! And what a beautiful place to look through them, at the pier, with a view of the ocean and unique animals all around. 

The day was a bit overcast, but the water was fairly calm, so next we decided to take on the black sand beach! We cut through the Wittmer Hotel's beach to get there, laid out our towels, and had so much fun watching the animals and the waves! Sea lions were everywhere--some in the ocean, many laying on the beach! We were told they attack, so we kept a safe distance. And guess who came to say hello... Ferdinand, our sea turtle friend! He stuck his little head up to breathe and say happy birthday! What a delight! The water was cold, but we got in anyway. Well, just from the waist down. The lava ash grains were bigger than typical sand, and they got in my water shoes with no way out! That made for an uncomfortable walking experience back to the cabin, but in the meantime, we enjoyed the peace and serenity of an unpopulated beach somewhere in the Pacific. It was wonderful! 

Time for lunch! Lelia outdid herself by serving soup, chicken, potato tortillas (looked like what we would call a patty or fritter, not the flat Mexican tortilla you may have in mind!), yuca fritters, plantain chips, salad, and fruit with ice cream! 

While there, we also heard that our boat back to Santa Cruz was delayed, but that we'd be getting a faster boat! We were supposed to leave at 2:30, but with the new boat, we'd leave at 3:30. No big deal. Usually you're not allowed to leave the island after 3:00pm because the Ecuadorean navy doesn't want anyone out on the high seas after dark, and some islands are several hours away. They were making an exception for us, thought I didn't understand exactly why. It would be about an hour and 40 minute boat ride, and supposedly less rough because of our going with the current instead of against it. Sounds good to me! 

So we went down to the pier with plenty of time, and we watched the animals for a while. We saw a mama and baby sea lion that Marcos told us was born last night. They were so cute! You could tell poor mama was exhausted and didn't want to do much. (Although from our observation, we noticed that the sea lions mostly loved to lay in the sun all day!) 

Her poor little pup was still blind, so he or she was having a hard time finding its way to the food. It didn't help that mom was covering the food with her flipper! The pup almost made it, but it kept going farther and farther to the right... Until it fell off the steps! Mom got up to rescue her baby, and it took a while, but they finally made it to a safe place. 

3:30 came and went. No boat. 

4:00. No boat. 

But there! In the distance! It was a flock! A flock of... Flamingoes! Four of them, flying through the air! Ok, since I didn't even realize that flamingoes could fly until just two days before, this was a major highlight! I was so excited! They came out to show off for my birthday! 

See them? Sorry my camera doesn't have a better zoom! 

A little after 4:30, a boat finally arrived! We saw it speeding our way, and everyone waiting eagerly gathered to be the first on board. But the navy, whose rule is that no boats leave after 3:00pm, needed to talk with the captain. Again, the boats are not allowed to go out between islands after 3:00 because they may have to complete their journey in the dark, and it's just not allowed. But they made an exception for us! Later we found out that Marcos had told the navy guy that Steve and I had a flight to catch the next morning, and we couldn't miss it! I don't know if that's the reason we got the exception, but we were thankful! Sure, it would have been really nice to be "stuck" on that beautiful island for another night, but since we had more on our schedule for the next day (and Marcos's fiancee had come hone early from the mainland to surprise him), it's really better if things stay on track! 

So we waited while the water taxi went to pick up the incoming passengers from the boat. And then all of us (about 15 or so) crowded around to board the water taxi and get on our way. Marcos made sure we got prime seating at the back of the boat again, where the motion would be less dramatic. The boat had two engines instead of one, and so it was a faster ride, but a wetter one as well! About half way through, Steve and I switched to the other side of the boat (still at the back), which was shielded from the spray, but the exhaust from the engines got stuck there, so because of that, neither of us felt that great by the end! I could tell the ocean wasn't quite as rough as the day before, but oh my, it was not actually smooth either! 

We did get to watch the sunset from the boat, so that was really quite lovely. But then I realized how far we still had to go in the dark. When we made it into Puerto Ayora, a water taxi came out to meet us and transfer us from the boat to the dock. We were so glad to be on something sturdy after a long afternoon! When we arrived, both Louis and Liz from Galapagos Alternative were there to greet us and to apologize. Again, so above what was necessary! They even said the owner of the boat company was so sorry, she wanted to buy us dinner the next night! They also provided a complementary taxi ride to our hotel, and when we arrived, our hostess had put a bottle of Chilean red wine and two glasses on our bed! Everyone knows I don't drink, but Steve had some with dinner (leftover calzones from two nights prior and a couple of energy bars), and we were able to do a little church service with communion and a sermon online after dinner, too! We had something like crackers with us, and the Divinely-provided red wine saved us from having to go out after dark to find grape juice somewhere. It all worked out so well! 

And that was out stint in Floreana! Join us next time for more Santa Cruz Island fun! 

For more pictures, click HERE!

Blue-footed Boobies and "Are You on Your Honeymoon?"

Welcome back! Friday dawned early for us. That's a nice benefit of being two hours behind where your body thinks you are; you wake up early and get going with your day! We went down for breakfast, and can you believe they had banana cake for breakfast? And coffee, and toast, and granola, and eggs, and fruit! The coffee is really good here. I was expecting it to be too strong, but it seems to be just right! 

Our guide for the day picked us up at 9:00 with 17 of our closest new friends. The day trip to North Seymour and Bachas Beach seems to be a popular one. You'll never believe some of the things we saw! We made our way back across Santa Cruz Island to the same ferry dock where we arrived yesterday, about an hour drive due to the road construction. At the ferry we separated into two groups. Our group went first we got into the cutest little motorized dinghy you ever did see! It took us to a small yacht where we were advised to take off our shoes (which made trips to the bathroom below pretty icky--I just tried not to think about it!). Steve and I found an adorable little love seat on the front of the boat to enjoy the ride. And then we were there! 

When we arrived at North Seymour Island, we made a "dry landing," meaning we would not be wading in the water to get from the boat to the island, we went up lave steps! A sweet Australian couple befriended us, and the wife asked me, "So I guess you're on your honeymoon?" Ha! We said no, we're just on vacation, but so glad people can see we're in love!

It was there on the lava steps that we saw our first wildlife--crabs! They were everywhere! We missed them at first because they were black like the rocks. Then when it looked like the rock was moving, we realized it was the baby crabs! They go from black to orange to red as they age! 

See the baby crabs? So cute! 

Nw up the steps and off to see the birds! And the land iguanas! And the sea lions! We had to stay with our certified naturalist guide on a trail the whole time, but there was much to be seen, even on just the trail! We saw pelicans, frigates (with and without red pouches!), land iguanas, and my personal favorite, the blue-footed boobies! 

The blue-footed boobies got that name because the Spanish thought they were really stupid, since they just sat on the ground most of the time--they were total boobs! I like their blue feet. They really are fascinating birds. They nest on the ground, not in trees, and they dive into the water and swim to get their fish. It's fun to watch them dive from very high up, stay under for a while, then come back up to fly away with their catch! Oh, and the best thing about them is, the boys dance to court their lady! They also share the nesting and fishing duties. One of them was sitting on his nest when we all walked by, and as if on cue, he got up and moved behind his eggs so we could see them! He even moved them around with his blue webbed feet as if to say, aren't my kids the best?!

The frigates are interesting as well! Instead of dancing for their ladies, they expand their big red pouch. It looked like the same type of skin as the waddle on a turkey, but bulgier and smooth. It contracts when they are done finding a mate and comes out the next season. Except on North Seymour! This is the only place where you see frigates with pouches out year-round.

We also saw some cacti, which is funny because they are only supposed to grow in arid climates, not a humid place like an island in the middle of the Pacific! It's like island life with a taste of the desert. The land iguanas (which are orangey-yellow-and-black) eat them as well as other plants around the island. They are not carnivores; none of them tried to chase or bite us!

Back to the yacht! We lunched on the way to our next stop, Bachas Beach on Baltra (where the airport is). Lunch was pretty standard Ecuadorian fare: wahoo fish, rice, veggies, and fruit! 

There was also a very hot relish, but it was too hot for me! Our Australian friends sat with us, and we talked about travel. They are on an eight-week adventure through South America! They've already been at it four weeks and have four more weeks to go. They are going to Machu Pichu! I wish I'd had my card to give them. I would have loved to stayed in touch! 

Anyhow, we got to Bachas Beach and got ready for a wet landing! That means you'll have to be in the water up to your knees and walk to shore. Our Australian friends and we got on the dinghy first. I don't know why everyone else was dawdling. This was going to be the best part--seeing flamingoes in a lagoon! I turned to my new friend and said, "We're the party people! We're ready to go!" Finally some more people got into the dinghy and we motored as close to shore as we could. The water was chilly as we stepped in, but I kept thinking of the flamingoes! 

We were instructed not to take shoes with us, since we would only be at the beach and the walk to the lagoon was short, but because I'm still recovering from my last foot surgery in January, I had to wear my water shoes. They help so much! Walking on sand is really hard on your tiny foot muscles, so I needed that extra little support and stability. I also took them with us to Hawaii in May, and they were so helpful! They also keep my scars from getting burned. I recommend water shoes! =)

Back to the story! So yes, my water shoes allowed me to walk around the beach without strain or injury! The walk to the lagoon was short, and our naturalist guide warned us that we may or may not see flamingoes. He would have to check. I was a bit heart broken. I wanted to see my favorite bird in the whole wide world! They're pink! He went to look... And there was one! And when we got up there, there were two! Maybe not as good as a flock, but certainly better than none! The naturalist said they flew here from North America about 300 years ago. I'm not sure how they could know that for sure, but it's awesome! I actually had never thought of a flamingo flying before. I always think of them standing in water, feeding on shrimp! They were so graceful, standing there all tall and curvy. And pink! 

Sorry we had to keep our distance. More flamingo pictures will come in a few days!

After that we roamed around the beach for an hour or so. We saw sea cucumbers, a couple of kinds of fishes, and a waterproof camera! Our Australian friends found that. There were no pictures on it, so they gave it to one of our guides as his "tip!" They had a good time taking pictures with it! 

And then it was time to head back. We walked through the water back out to the dinghy, rode back to the yacht, yachted back to the ferry dock, waited a while, loaded onto the bus, and the bus dropped us off a block from our hotel. All told, it was a 7-hour trip. Mostly transportation, but completely worthwhile! 

But our day was not yet finished! It was time for a run! That is Steve's and my favorite way to explore a new town: run it! I am currently building my running back up slowly, using the Couch to 5K program. Steve usually runs 5 miles, so our run that day was actually less than half what he usually does, but he stayed with me! We tried to run to Tortuga Bay, but unfortunately there was a LOT of road construction going on, and we never did find it. But we got our time in, and we saw some new things! 

On our cool-down walk back to the hotel, our friend Louis showed up to discuss tomorrow's adventure! I didn't know he was going to be waiting for us when we got back, otherwise we would have waited for him before we went for our run! Anyway, he gave us our info for the next days adventures. He said we're going to love it! You'll have to read the next blog to find out what adventures we got into! 

After we returned to the hotel and got some water in us, it was time to set out for some supper. We rambled around until we found something we thought we'd like--Steve's favorite, pizza! We ordered two calzones for take-out. The restaurant was cute, but we were ready to be in the room for the night instead of being out for dinner. We got the food and realized these were not personal-sized calzones... They were entire pizzas folded over! Needless to say, we were not able to finish! Luckily, there is a fridge we could use at the hotel for leftovers. We would be enjoying the leftovers soon!

And that was our night! We ate our humongous calzones on the balcony, showered the day away, and fell fast asleep. Join is next time for... Floreana Island! 

For more pictures, click HERE!

Santa Cruz and the Giant Tortoise Ranch!

We arrived! Now to pay to get in. Even though people actually live on some of the islands, the whole archipelago is a national park, and you have to pay $100 per person (cash) to visit. Fortunately, we knew that in advance and budgeted for it! We got off the mid-size LAN Airlines plane and onto the tarmac, then walked into the only building on the tiny island of Baltra. We all got in lines just like we did at customs in Ecuador, and when it was our turn, we handed in our passports and forms stating who we are, where we're from, and that we don't have any fruits (they call them "organics") with us. Some people didn't follow the rules, though. Our little passport control man actually had to go chase down and older lady because she bypassed all the lines without showing her documents or paying her fees! Turns out, she had to use the little girls' room. Anyway, our guy came back to finish checking us in, passed us on to the girl who would take our entrance fee, and we were officially IN! 

We went into the gift shop area of the airport to wait for our guide, and within a few minutes, he was there! He apologized for being a few minutes late, and he said he is usually early or on time, but he actually had a good reason for being late... There were construction workers unexpectedly tearing up the roads! 

And off we went! We and many others from our plane piled into a bus and made our way to the ferry that would take us to Santa Cruz Island where our touring would begin! And this was our first spectacular view: 

Our guide, Tommy, was very knowledgeable. He said he was born on Santa Cruz! We got into a cab with our driver, Caesar, and made our way to the highlands! We saw the very invasive construction (no wonder he was a few minutes late), and we were amazed at the drastic change in the climate and landscape! Baltra and the side of Santa Cruz where we started were very dry and brown, but the farther we went into the island (and the farther up), the greener and wetter everything got! He told us about the wildlife on the island, plants that grow here, and the lava tunnels! We saw it all! 

First stop: lava tunnels! The tunnels were formed way before people came around, of course, but when people moved in with cattle and other livestock in the mid-20th century, the cattle discovered these underground tunnels... by falling into them! They were formed by lava (of course) and gas building up to create the tunnel effect. 

Next up (and the original reason I wanted to come to the Galapagos in the first place): Giant Tortoises! Caesar took us to a ranch where a family grows fruit, raises cattle and goats, and has... giant tortoises! We slipped into some galoshes (it's very rainy and muddy in the highlands), and set out in search of the great giants! 

There is no way to definitively know how old they are, but we do know they can be over 200 years old! And they are just too funny. We saw some in a couple of ponds taking a bath. Apparently, they get themselves muddy, then wait for it to dry and break off, and then they're clean! They do move very slowly. When the mothers lay eggs, they make a journey to the egg laying area that takes three or four months! They can go as fast as 800 meters per day. Whew! 

After a few pictures with the big guys and scrubbing ourselves and our galoshes off, we had a special surprise waiting for us... A snack at the lodge on the property! We had fresh-squeezed papaya juice, fresh cut fruit, and cheese empanadas! All of it was grown and/or made right there on the ranch--from fruit to cheese! It was soft and the cheese was stringy. It was by far the best empanada I've ever had! 

And then... Onward to the hotel! We would be staying in the Galapagos Suites, one of the nicest hotels in the town! And we were fortunate at get a room on the third floor, the very top! There was a hammock for us on the balcony, and we have a coconut tree just outside our door! The bed was huge--two full beds pushed together!--but it had a lump in the middle that connected the two beds. It was funny to us! Steve called it a "chastity bump."

Our hostess told us where breakfast would be, reminded us not to use the tap water, especially for brushing our teeth, said not to put paper in the toilet, told us our Galapagos Alternative (that's the tour company we used) representative would be by in about 15 minutes. She said if we needed anything, please let her know! What a sweetheart. 

By that time, Steve was pooped, so he took a nap! Since he was snoozing away, I went downstairs to see about our representative, Louis. He's such a sweet guy! He gave us a print out of our full itinerary and some contact info, as well as recommendations for dinner. He had it all together for us and was so professional! He was supposed to take us to a snorkel gear place to pick up our gear for the week, but since Steve was asleep, Louis offered to go get it for us. That was definitely above and beyond what was required! He even had to go back again because the first fins he brought for me were too big! 

He went on his way, and Steve slept, and I enjoyed the downtime. We were both pooped! When my handsome sleeping husband finally awoke, it was time to explore and find supper! It was only about 4:00 (6:00 pm Eastern Time), but we were getting quite hungry. We met some friends along the way: 

Marine Iguanas

A Pelican! 

Our Crabby Friend! 

We roamed around for a while, found a place to eat, and ordered some delightful seafood! I had wahoo fish in coconut sauce (mahi mahi), and Steve had octopus... Though he intended to order shrimp! Oh well. It was good, and we just needed food! 

Join us again soon! There is much more to come, including dancing birds that swim under water! 

For more pictures associated with this post, click HERE! 

Nine Hours in Quito!

Welcome, friends! Or shall I say, bienvenidos, amigos! My Love has whisked me away for the birthday trip of a lifetime to... The Galapagos! But first we needed to make a stop in the world's highest capitol city: Quito, Ecuador! First stop, Dulles (the DC airport closest to us)! Next stop, Houston! Final Destination, QUITO! 

We got off the airplane around 11:00pm in Ecuador, and we expected there to be someone from the hotel waiting for us. We had an email confirmation and everything. But it was not so! Steve had an email confirmation saying that someone would be there, but we quickly learned that there a little phenomenon called "Ecuadorian Time." A kind man had heard us ask the information desk attendant if she knew anything about the hotel where the guy was supposed to be coming from (she said he's usually next to the Friday's restaurant; he was not), and so he asked us if he wanted us to call the hotel to help us. We were so grateful! (It was past midnight for us!) he called and was told the guy would be here soon... A nice lady showed us shortly thereafter with a sign that had our names on it. Hooray! But the driver had apparently not left the hotel yet. Boo. 

But about 20 minutes later, he came through! Hip, hip, yea! Supposedly it's a 10 minute ride from the airport. But for us we took the special time... 20 minutes. And when we ended up in an alley next to a huge wooden gate, I thought, "What have I gotten us into?!" But everything was fine. I'm sure the place looked beautiful and welcoming in the daylight, but we got the night time view both coming and going! 

The room was small, but nicely decorated, and it had just what we needed... A bed and a toilet! We got as much sleep as we could, knowing it was midnight now, and we'd need to rise at 5:00am. Steve slept well for about 5 hours... Me? Not so much! I was afraid of missing our alarm, so I was more restless. Oh well! Up and at it! I'll tell you a secret, though... It's hard to remember to NOT put the toilet paper in the toilet when you've had less than 4 hours of sleep! 

Oh, and don't brush with the tap water! 

Moving on... Back to the airport! One significant reason it was beneficial to go to the airport so early was that we got to see the sunrise over the Andes mountains! It really was breath-taking! The tallest ones have snow on the caps. Those were my favorites. 

We left the hotel at 5:50 on the dot. Steve and I usually push our luck with airports in America because we are TSA Pre-checked and we can go through the faster lines (theoretically) with the more experienced travelers and keep all our bags packed and our clothes on. Not so elsewhere, and certainly not bound for the Galapagos! There were two extra check points we had to pass (to have our bags scanned for fruits and have our passports checked to get our boarding passes), and it took us 45 minutes just to get through those lines! Fortunately, Steve always has the wisdom to pack extra food (not fruits and veggies when going to other countries; usually bread with cheese and/or hummus), so we chowed down while waiting in one of the lines, and there was a place to get coffee on the other side! Unfortunately, I should have been braver to test out my rusty Spanish because I'm pretty sure I didn't get what I tried to order! The menus on the wall were all in English, so I thought the barista would understand, but nope! Should have been braver. I'll know for next time! 

So there we were, drinking our coffee. This must have been the time they announced a gate change for our flight. Because when we got back to the gate where we had been assigned upon arrival, the time came and went for us to begin boarding... So I went to the bathroom, filled up my water bottle at the fountain, and when I got back a couple of minutes later, Steve said he checked the board, and they had changes our gate! Fortunately, it was only a couple of gates over! 

We did, in fact, make it to our flight with time to spare! We started off with a pretty full flight, but all flights to the Galapagos from Quito, I think, must first stop in Guayaquil, on the Ecuadorian coast. This leg was only about 40 or so minutes. People got off the plane, more people got on the plane, and we were off again to our long-awaited destination... THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS! And actually, the airline we took--LAN--was one of the nicest flights I've been on! All the attendants were friendly and didn't seem irritated by all the people who needed to use the restroom, and they brought beverages and THREE types of snacks: dried fruit and nuts, plantain chips, and a granola bar! 

So then we made it! Join us next time for the journey to Puerto Ayora! It's gonna be great!